If I choose GOD, then I get rewarded... If I do not choose GOD, then I suffer...
If there are only two choices, basically, life or death... THEN where is my true free will?
LUCIFER was full of wisdom and he had free will... He made a choice, he exercised his free will, but the price to pay for exercising his free will was seperation from God, being turned into a serpent and eventually, annihilation - according to scripture: (cast into the lake of fire to be destroyed).
If you do not exercise your free will, and "GO WITH THE FLOW" of nature, or God, or your spirit, etc... You will go to Heaven... If you even exercise your free will a little, you seperate yourself from God and go to Hell (however you define it).
When the choice is
a: heaven, joy, peace, love, happiness, streets of gold, mansions.
b: Hell, torment, death, fire, gnashing of teeth, lake of fire annihilation....
when the choice is "either or" - that's not a free-will.... That's a DICTATORSHIP! IT'S NOT RIGHT
2007-03-03 07:38:51 · 27 answers · asked by John Galt 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
free will has nothing to do with god or with heavens...
Man is condemned to make a choice in every second of his life. Some choices are good for him and some arent. Whether he is fully aware of the consequences of his choices is more important than whether he has free will or not. He may sincerely think that the option he chooses is good for him and for mankind but it may come out the other way around. At such cases he cant be held responsible. The problem is that most of our choices are made in full ignorance of the consequences.
2007-03-03 08:54:00 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Ok, I see where you don't understand, or should say a bit confuse on the matter.
Now, Lucifer had it all, he was God's right hand in heaven. Then Pride came into his heart, and he said "I want to be like the Most High".
He then went around heaven and told the angels that God is a unfair, and unjust God.
One 1/3 of the angels listen to Lucifer.
As the Bible says, there was war in heaven. Lucifer fought against Michael, which is God, and God prevailed. Lucifer and a third of the angels were cast out of heaven.
Now if God wanted too, he could have destroy Lucifer and the 1/3 angels the same time. However, being a just God, he was given grace.
Now Lucifer, now Satan came down to the earth, knowing he have but a short time. Satan want us to be destroy forever with him, so his mission is to tempt us to not obey God.
He started with Eve and Adam the first man, and thereby, sin enter to all men.
But praise God, God had a plan to save us from our sins. He came and died for us, so that we can live and have the power over sin.
At the cross, as the rest of the worlds watched and observed how Satan who hated the one who made the whole world and him so much, that he killed him in a brutal way and the cross of calvary. Then everyone knew that God is God and a just God.
Now many will think that God is unjust and unfair, because of all the troubles, wars, killings and so forth, but God has not forgotten his people. These things will all come to an end very soon.
Everyone on earth will bow and confess that God is just and he is fair.
We all have a choice. FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.
We can choose to follow the devil or to follow God. One thing you must remember, and that is God will not force us to do something against our will.
2007-03-03 16:02:34 · answer #2 · answered by Karen W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its not a dictatorship...it is free will. God isn't forcing you to worship him. You do have a choice, despite the resounding negatives of not accepting God. Its still a choice. And your view of Hell is incorrect. Hell is the separation from God. Theres no fire in Hell...If there were, it wouldn't be a dark place. The torment of Hell comes from the separation from God. You will meet him, and see what you missed out on...Heaven...so, your eternity will be spent in torment. Torment without God, which is the choice you made while walking this earth. You have the free will to love God, or reject him. when you exercise it, you get what you want. Either God, or separation from him.
2007-03-03 15:48:28 · answer #3 · answered by Underdog 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you hit on an important point, two entities cannot be in charge of one person's salvation. Either God is weak, or man is damaged. I'll go with an omnipotent God and a Man that does not have free will, or at least has a damaged free will that cannot look to God for salvation. This would put God in a position of having mercy on those that have so much of a sin nature that God would be fully justified in sending everyone to their destruction. And that would necessitate a Savior to atone for our sinful nature and thus make God good. If man is neutral, then God could even be looked at as evil, especially if it's a loving offer prior to death, but past that line it's wrath.
2007-03-03 18:16:44 · answer #4 · answered by ccrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know where you're coming from. But whoever said democracies work perfectly? Have you ever noticed how well discipline works with children if you simply tell them they're being naughty? I think God acts in the same way, as a parent. We use punishment and reward to label wrongful and good behaviour. God is simply trying to instill a sense of morality in us, so that at some point the path to doing good is more clear. God simply wants us to be good people, who are responsible for ourselves and our actions, and capable of instilling that within our own children. Of course we have free will! All the choices we make in life are our own, there are just simple expectations, just like there are laws in every society, so that chaos does not ensue.
2007-03-03 15:49:58 · answer #5 · answered by Belle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're right -- the choice is either God's way or Satan's. Use the free will you were created with and make a choice.
When God created us He gave us rules for our own good. (Just like good parents set rules and boundaries for their children.) Broken rules have consequences. Punishment. God is just and fair as well as loving. So he had to punish disobedience to Him. Therefore the Lake of Fire for those who reject His Son, Jesus, who died to take the punishment for our sins.
A perfect holy God cannot tolerate sin in His presence. That's why He sent Jesus, so we could have our sins forgiven so we can go to heaven where there is no sin.
So with your free will, you can either choose heaven or hell. Take your pick.
2007-03-03 15:58:14 · answer #6 · answered by Shirley 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Free will means that you get to choose what you do. For example, at what time you get up, what you eat etc. What your describing is using your free will to rebel against God or not rebel against God. You are always using free will, and one of the options you can make while you use it every day is if you wish to rebel against God or not. By the way, hell is metaphorical, so if you die you don't suffer torment forever. You just die and turn into a natural resource years later.
If you want more info, feel free to e-mail me.
2007-03-03 15:55:47 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is called free will becausewe have a choice in the matter of whhat we will do. We can either: (a) Choose to follow God and follow His plan for our lives, or (b) Choose to follow the world, and believe/feel we can do everything ourselves.
Some people ask, "Why does God send people to Hell" or similar questions along the same line. But He doesn't. God only honors that person's choice. God loves us so much He lets us choose, hoping that we will choose life, and follow Him. (For more information, you may read the story/parable of the Prodigal Son in the Bible).
2007-03-03 15:45:44 · answer #8 · answered by marvin_reesman 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes we do have free will.
free will is based on informed choices. if you choose to believe in God, then you must know your reasons for doing so, you have exercised free will.
If you choose not to believe in God then that is also your choice based on the reasons why. If then later on you feel that your choice is mis-informed or wrong then you have the choice to change it.
the goals are heaven and hell not the path. and it is here in this world that God has given us a brain to exercise this free will
.
2007-03-03 15:53:25 · answer #9 · answered by Electric 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
um im sorry but no we do have free will. free will is a gift from God to us that lets us make our own choices. lucifer used hs free will when he made the desion to deny God. thus evil was born. good and evil are like two north sides of a magnet, they push away from each other. satan then openly denied him in front of the congregation of angels. some angels drawn by curiosity, others by concern , and some unbeknowenst to the others, had been waiting for this very moment.
we arnt forced to choose God, he lets us decide.
so how is that a dictatorship?
2007-03-03 15:51:18 · answer #10 · answered by Sir. ChatsAlot 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋